Rick Sindeband

Many of us in our daily activities see situations that under the right circumstances could become a situation where we would have to make a choice about our safety. Let’s be perfectly clear about these incidents. There are two buckets of force in life. Deadly Force vs Non-Deadly Force. When you are involved in an incident you must decide within a split second if your life is in danger (deadly force) or if there is some less than lethal alternative (non-deadly force) that is more appropriate for the situation. When you are attacked in any situation that is less than deadly force you are only allowed to reach into the non-deadly force bucket to solve the problem this is called proportionality. Going to your gun in these situations is not appropriate and can get you arrested and in a situation where you are facing charges. Non-deadly force options are limited to some extent by your physical ability to handle an individual with your bare hands. You also have the option to retreat (run away) which is always good if it can be accomplished safely under the circumstances. Remember that when you are in a vehicle driving away is always the best option. Many times people freeze and they fail to see the options available. Practice visualizing these situations and while driving always be aware of how close you are to other vehicles especially while waiting at a light or other traffic control situations. You should always be able to see the rear wheels on the vehicle in front of you, so you have room to maneuver around that vehicle if you have to. OC/Pepper Spray is also a good idea and is considered a non-deadly force option. These sprays give you the advantage of time to make a good decision without having to use deadly force. Some communities in the front range have local ordinances prohibiting certain size containers of these sprays. Colorado Springs has a 1.5 oz limit to be legal. Pueblo has no limit. I noticed in the Pueblo paper today that people are not being arrested anymore if they have not committed a felony. (Catch and Release) sound familiar? This is because they claim they have no room in the jail facilities for non-felony offenders. It is your job to have the toolsyou need to keep yourself and your family safe. Be very aware that the display of a gun or threatening to use a gun can have consequences you may not like. In Colorado, we are not allowed to use deadly force to protect property. They will find room for you and me in the crowded jail if we use our deadly force tools improperly. Remember you must have a reasonably articulable fear of death or serious grave bodily injury to use deadly force. That means you must be able to tell a story that to a reasonable person would sound like your life was in danger of death or serious bodily injury. It can not be an irrational fear. Remember Ability, Opportunity, and Jeopardy. Do they have the ability to harm you (a tool, overwhelming strength or size)? Do they have the opportunity this is usually a matter of time and distance (are they close enough to harm you with that tool)? Jeopardy (do they intend to harm you)? If you are a nervous Sally and everybody scares you, maybe you should reconsider carrying a handgun for self-defense. A handgun needs to be a last resort, not the goto tool that you use for every event. Training and familiarity with your firearm can go along way to ease some of your concerns and will give you the confidence you need to make proper decisions. Remember any incident you are involved in should be reported. You always need to be the first one to report the incident on the phone to the police. If you are not the reporting party you could end up being the accused party of the use of unlawful force.

DisclaimerAs always any advice I give on this or any other matter is not legal advice. This information is only for educational purposes and you can not rely on it as LEGAL ADVICE. If you feel you need more information about these and other subjects of this type, I have a list of qualified individuals that you are welcome to have. Do not rely on family attorneys, police officers, or military personnel for this information. It has been found that many of these people have outdated or misleading information about these topics. When in doubt join one of the legal organizations that will take your questions and answer them. I recommend the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association).

I have started a new section on Have Gun Will Train Colorado (HGWTC) Website called Accident-Gram. The idea for Accident-Gram came to me when I was taking some recent industry safety training. Safety and safety training has been part of my life for many years. It started with my dad many years ago when he was the Safety Superintendent at CF&I Steel and continued in my career as an Insurance Broker and Certified Insurance Counselor with Front Range Insurance Services Inc. in Colorado and New Mexico. Why not critique some of the firearms accidents I hear about and give people an overview of the gun safety issues involved and how to avoid these accidents. I will be keeping my ear to the ground for local and regional firearms accidents and any help hearing about them would be appreciated. Many of the firearms accidents that happen go unreported. I have started with a few that I know about and will be expanding it from there. Of course, I will be looking for accidents that relate to the mishandling of handguns in the Concealed Carry lifestyle. Sometimes the information in firearms accidents is not complete and I will try to relay the facts as I can best determine them.

Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) is serious business and you should have some CCW Permit Training so that you are familiar with all the laws and safety issues of carrying a concealed weapon in public. Some people take CCW Permit Training and choose not to get a permit. They want to learn the laws regarding the use, storage, and transportation of firearms as all responsible gun owners should and may not want the responsibility of carrying in public on a daily basis. These issues and more are covered by (HGWTC) Have Gun Will Train Colorado’s CCW Permit Training Programs.

In Colorado, a weapon is concealed on your person if it is placed out of sight so as not to be discernible or apparent by ordinary observation. This means that if you can tell its a handgun its not concealed. Also in Colorado, the permit is called a Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP).

You will see people open carrying a handgun in public but I do not recommend it. This can be very dangerous for you and the people around you. We are seeing more incidents where people have lost their guns to a criminal in public and then had that gun used in a crime. Sometimes the gun owner has been charged in these incidents for negligence and held responsible for what the criminal did with the gun. CCW Permit Training will teach you about the pros and cons of different types of handgun carry.

Colorado is a shall issue state and that means that if you qualify to have the concealed handgun they will issue you the permit. Unlike other states that are may issue like New York, New Jersey, and California. At last count there were 9 may issue states in this country. These states are allowed to use their own discretion in either issuing or denying a permit. Some may-issue states require an applicant to show “good cause” for obtaining a permit.

Colorado Concealed Handgun Permitholders enjoy many freedoms other states do not have. The Colorado concealed handgun permit is valid in 35 states. This CCW Permit Training is great information for anyone who wishes to have a handgun for self-protection in or out of the home or business. With a little knowledge, many people can have a handgun for self-protection in many parts of their life without a permit. A permit and CCW Permit Training give you the freedom of being able to carry in public while following the rules.

Many topics are covered in these classes and the 4 hours spent is well worth it for anyone who owns a handgun for self-defense. In addition, anyone who takes a CCW Permit Training class from HGWTC gets shooting time at no additional charge. Sign up today for this important training.

DISCLAIMER: Have Gun Will Train Colorado and Rick Sindeband does NOT give legal advice. Any reference to laws or regulations is legal education. You should seek competent legal advice if you own a firearm for self-defense. Discuss the legal ramifications of firearms and self-defense with a knowledgeable attorney who specializes in CRIMINAL LAW in your local jurisdiction. Law, both statutory and common, regarding self-defense varies widely from one area to the next and is constantly changing.

In a recent Concealed Carry Expo, our industry’s finest and most talented instructors and leaders of gun organizations got together and discussed training ideas and common ground. These are some ideas that came from this event. Some of these you have heard before some may be new.

-Muscle memory is a myth. You train your mind to remember with neural pathways to the brain. muscles have no memory.

-No one class can pass gunfight information to a student. What we can pass on is mindset and awareness. How not to get into the gunfight

-How many hours a day do we spend in our vehicles. Have you trained to fight in and around vehicles? It is not easy without some education.

-We train in square ranges with flat surfaces usually in daylight. How many events happen in these perfect conditions? Especially in daylight, not darkness. Have you ever trained in darkness?

-We train for concealed carry in square ranges with flat surfaces usually in daylight. How many events happen in these perfect conditions? Especially in daylight, not darkness. Have you ever trained in darkness?

-We train for years for an event that is over in 5 seconds or less. Can you draw and put meaningful shots on a small target in a short period of time under stress?

-The Concealed Carry Permit is a permit for self-defense that means someone else is making the first move or attacking you. You are not the one acting first, anyway, you’re not supposed to be.

-We will always be attacked when we are vulnerable, in our worst moment or position. have you trained for that?

-We don’t choose the place or the time of the attack. You train for concealed carry in perfect conditions. Will your gunfight happen in those perfect conditions. Have you ever drawn your handgun from the seated position of your car or a booth in the restaurant? Criminals train to catch you off guard when you are vulnerable at your worst moment.

-You defend yourself with the fundamentals or the foundations of gun handling. Everyone wants to be advanced and have the greatest equipment and lightning draw. Do you have the fundamentals down?

-Legal owners of firearms need to be educated. the worst enemy for people who carry firearms (all of us) is to have a legal owner use it the wrong way.

-Carry a big enough, easy to shoot handgun, with enough ammo capacity to give 3 criminals each a healthy serving of lead (that serving is normally more than two rounds and as many as five) you do the math. If you hit all shots is 6 or even 8 rounds enough? Not if you believe 80% of your shots will be missed. If you carry a smaller gun have you trained to get more ammo into it so you can survive the encounter.

These are just some of the ideas that came out in this recent event. I can help you get on a track to get there. Start small and work your way towards it. I have some ideas and can help you get there if you want to.

My favorite training for shooting from in and around vehicles is still available at an unbelievably low price. This is the best online training for this I have ever seen. [check out vehicle online tactics course]

Which Gun To Buy?

Ist of all you can never go wrong with a Glock. I’m a Certified Factory Glock Armorer and they don’t pay me anything to say this. Glock is the number #1 firearm for law enforcement around the world. All the bullshit about Glock accidents is just that. Every case I have ever read about was a straight out and out a safety violation in one regard or another. If I were picking which gun to buy the 2 you mention are wonderful. The Glock 19 is the overall best gun they have ever made, That being said it just does not fit some peoples hands which you know is the number one criteria for picking a gun. Its like picking shoes it has to fit. The original Glock 43 was one of their best sellers, but the new 43x and its brother the Glock 48 is hands down a better gun. Reliability is their trademark and anything that goes wrong is easily fixed. You can never make a mistake buying a Glock. If you don’t like it you will lose about a hundred dollars on the sale of a used one.

The Sig P365 and the P320 its bigger brother are good guns and I have shot them both, and some people like the gun and it is a great self-defense handgun. Historically Sigs prices have been too high for most of us in the Blue Collar world to afford. I would love to own a $$P226$$. The P365 and the big brother P320 have been the first affordable and nicely built firearms Sig has produced. But they are not a Glock. Some people will argue this point. But it’s like Chevies and Fords. I happen to be a Ford man. The 365 did not feel as good in my hand so it was not a choice for me.

You know I am currently carrying a Walther PPS M2 and I like it a lot. The PPS M2 (Polizei-Pistole Schmal / Police Pistol Slim) is carried by a lot of Law enforcement in Europe for off duty carry. Don’t get an M1 it’s the old version. This gun feels great in my hand and shoots well. I think this is a great gun for anyone for concealed carry. Of course, I had to put sights on mine cause I have the start of “OLD MAN EYES” and the sights I choose are great to see and acquire a target with both day and night. But truth be told I intend to switch to my Glock 48 as soon as I get some sights on her cause I love the way it shoots (longer barrel- more velocity- less recoil). But again it is harder to conceal because it is an inch longer than the Glock 43x her little brother.

Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Taurus products. I know if you read enough articles they are on the comeback trail, but I believe this is just like any other purchase you get what you pay for. Reliability is one of those things affected by price.

Which Gun To Buy?

The one gun that you left out was The Smith and Wesson S&W Shield. I have become a fan of these guns but it has to be the model without the safety, and to be honest the Performance Center addition of this gun is hands down worth the extra money. There you have it. My TWO CENTS worth on those guns. Most are great some are better. The one that’s the best is the one you have with you when you need it. My choice of a caliber which is always secondary would be 9mm Luger.

Its almost summer and here we go again. The age-old question always comes out when its warm and we want to wear fewer clothes. Can I defend myself with a small caliber handgun? Namely, everybody wants to carry that little .380 ACP(Automatic Colt Pistol) that they can hide easily in their pocket or IWB (inside the waistband). Well here are some facts to consider.

Can you put shots on target with your small caliber handgun? So what we are talking about here is can you in a timed session put meaningful shots on target. Some say 3 rounds 3 seconds at 3 yards from the carry position in a circle that’s no more than 6 inches. Can you do that? If you can you have a good chance of surviving a deadly force encounter. If you can’t you better get to the range and do some practice so you can. I have more drills and skill tests for anyone wishing to get them from me for practice. Remember to follow the rules of the range you will be practicing at. Some ranges do not allow drawing from the holster. Some ranges allow it but only drawing from a strong side belt holster, not from a purse or a pocket. Can you shoot from a retention position? This can be a very dangerous thing to practice without being taught by a professional the right way to do it. My last article about Draw From The Holster talked about the low number of instructors who are certified to teach these methods so be careful how you proceed. Any Instructor that does not have PPOTH (Personal Protection Outside The Home) Certification is not certified to teach any draw from the holster concepts.

Part of being able to hit the target is grip. Can you get a proper grip on this small caliber handgun? The grip is the first step in a proper draw from the holster routine. Many people have hands that don’t fit the small caliber handgun. If you can’t get a full grip on the gun (fingers hanging off the bottom) or little finger curled under the magazine, it’s going to be hard for you to control those shots and to shoot the handgun safely. I see men whose hand covers the entire gun. One remedy is to get a magazine extension. This allows more fingers to get a grip on the mouse gun.

Sights on the small caliber handgun are usually nonexistent. there are a couple of problems with this. First is sight radius. sight radius, when referring to iron sights, is the distance between the rear sight and the front sight. The longer the sight radius is, the more accurate the shooter is able to be as the front sight post will appear to be smaller, covering less of the target. Just the opposite exists with small caliber handguns. A lot of these guns have sights that cannot be changed. Sometimes you can paint the front sight with a bright color to solve some of these problems. Finger Nail Polish does a good job in either bright red or orange color.

Proper holsters are a must when dealing with these guns. Remember a good holster retains the small caliber handgun so it can not fall out when turned upside down. It retains its open position for safe re-holster, and it covers the trigger guard completely. Kydex holsters tend to be the best choice, but don’t work well in your pocket.

Caliber size and cost of ammunition come into play with the small caliber handgun. It’s true that the .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) has come a long way ballistically speaking. The velocities are getting better and the gel tests are sometimes impressive, but here is what I think. Ammunition for the .380 ACP handgun is about 50 percent more expensive than 9mm Luger. That means that those who watch their pennies won’t shoot often enough to be proficient. You have to shoot these small caliber handguns frequently to get good with them. The other thing I look at is that technically speaking a .380 is a short 9mm. I don’t know about you but I need a full power caliber that will get the job done. In my opinion, the .380 ACP is not that round. That being said if I was going to carry this gun I would look at tests with self-protection JHP(Jacketed Hollow Point) ammunition for that gun. I would carry the ammunition that performed the best out of that gun. (Ballistics By The Inch) or some other source. Remember to always fire your concealed carry ammo in your small caliber handgun to make sure it does not malfunction. Some of these handguns are what we call in the industry ammo specific. What that means is some guns don’t operate reliably with certain types of ammo. You have to test your gun to make sure it is reliable. For me, that means shooting an entire box of concealed carry ammo without any malfunctions. Again Speer Gold Dot, Federal Hydra Shok, Federal HST, and Hornady are all reliable makers of this type of ammo.

Here’s what we’re talking about. The FBI says most self-defense encounters happen within 3 yards are over in 3 seconds with less than 3 rounds being fired (about the distance of an automobile). Can you grip your small caliber handgun, draw from your carry position, line up your sights, and put 3 shots on target in 3 seconds or less. If you can great have a great summer. If you can’t you have some work to do. And by the way, you also have to be able to shoot that small caliber handgun at some distance cause 10% of the time you could need those skills. The other thing you might want to consider is to get acquainted with shooting in and around vehicles. Here is an excellent inexpensive vehicle tactics online training course that I highly recommend. The other area of concern is situational awareness and understanding of transitional spaces. Many people survive close encounters because they knew something was about to happen. I can help with many of these training issues. You have to be proficient with your concealed carry handgun no matter what you choose, both for your own safety and the safety of others. Have a safe and fun summer.